Auditoire de Calvin, Geneva

The Auditoire de Calvin is a world famous chapel in the centre of Geneva, next to the city’s cathedral. The chapel is renowned for its links with John Calvin and John Knox. Through its links with Calvin and Knox, the Auditoire has a very close association with the Church of Scotland. In his lifetime Calvin set aside the Auditoire for foreign congregations and the chapel continues to be the spiritual home of British, Dutch and Italian worshippers.

The Auditoire is used a great deal, not only for services but also for concerts and other events, and a large number of tourists and Reformation pilgrims pass through its doors every year.

Treske designed and installed more than 200 chairs made out of beech wood to look light and contemporary and fit with their historic surroundings. Treske were commissioned to supply the chairs by the Auditoire’s restoration group, comprising members of the three communities who worship in the chapel.

The new chairs are part of a comprehensive refurbishment of the Auditoire, including the installation of a new organ. The Treske chair selected, had to go through a lengthy process of evaluation and testing by the various users of the building, as well as satisfying the demands of the Geneva historic monuments authorities. Treske worked to ensure that the chairs were co-ordinated with the woodwork of the new organ and other aspects of the renovation.

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Treske during our search for new chairs and were highly impressed by their designs, the quality of the products and the great deal of help they gave us in carrying out the project.

We are absolutely delighted with the way the building now looks and the chairs look wonderful in place.

We had a Palm Sunday procession from the Cathedral to the Auditoire, which allowed the whole congregation to see the new surroundings and have a first hymn and prayer in the new/old settings. I would like to thank Treske for all their help and patience.”